kansas officials and others, from here to nebraska, illinois, missouri, asking people to stay off the roads tonight. halted in the heartland. the monster snowstorm made for white-knuckle driving. from cars being pushed and pulled in kansas city, to this car up in flames after revving the engine trying to get up a hill in kansas. inside the behemoth storm, it looked like this. visibility, probably about a quarter mile. and sounded like that -- there we go. thundersnow. highways were shut down from missouri to kansas. >> just got out of control, lost control, due to the weather condition. >> reporter: scary? >> scary, yes, it is. >> reporter: ice was an issue in parts of arkansas and missouri, where freezing rain made travel dangerous. at the storm's peak, snow fell at an amazing rate, up to three inches per hour. look how quickly it adds up in arkansas on this time lapse video, and engulfs this friendly garden gnome in kansas city. here's where the big snow goes next. parts of the great lakes and northern midwest will get up to a half foot tonight.

but back in kansas, farmers say every flake is welcome. so, the water equivalent, probably just about 10 to 1, it's not much bigger than that. will that be good, or -- >> an inch of rain, an inch of water is good, we'll take it. >> reporter: dairy farmer tim iwig says the drought has hit his 30-year-old business hard. they need rain or snow to make feed for their girls. >> right, this will get our spring crops growing. >> reporter: looking ahead to spring, but winter is still in full force tonight. drivers are facing treacherous roads in the storm zone. before you get in the car, here are some life-saving tips. keep water and non-perishable food, pack blankets, but choose fleece, it stays warm even when it gets wet. and have a snow shovel to help you dig out. so, here's another tip. you want to grab some of these emergency flares. when visibility goes down to zero, that may be the only thing that people see and it would likely save your life. diane? >> and those blizzards come on so fast. thank you, ginger zee.

and now, we move onto the new and strange twist tonight in the case against olympic hero oscar pistorius, charged with murder. tonight, the case is turning upside down and abc's bazi kanani has the latest. >> reporter: tonight, a radical reversal. the eyes of judgment turned from olympian oscar pistorius to one of the people accusing him -- chief investigator hilton botha. botha had been the prosecution's key witness, his testimony the most likely to keep pistorius in jail. but today, embarrassed prosecutors said they didn't know the detective was being investigated for seven counts of attempted murder, opening fire on a passenger mini-bus in 2011. >> surely they should have been prepared. >> reporter: legal analysts say the bail hearing has suddenly turned in favor of the blade runner, the champion who made millions for his inspiring accomplishments. >> i never really encountered anything that i can't do. >> reporter: but since the valentine's day shooting, he has not been able to keep his sponsors by his side.

nike today becoming one of the latest companies to suspend his contract. meanwhile, friends of reeva and oscar are trying to make sense of it all. >> we have faith in the fact that the truth will come out. >> reporter: reeva's roommate told abc news she hasn't been able to change a thing in her friend's room. she said reeva planned to give a talk to high school girls about abusive relationships. as far as she knew, the couple was happy. >> i still have so many moments where i don't believe it's true. >> reporter: kevin lerena can't imagine pistorius the violent man prosecutors allege. >> so, you've lost two friends, you know, it's a big shock, i mean, and now one of them is gone and one's in a whole lot of trouble. >> reporter: bazi kanani, abc news, pretoria, south africa. >> we thank you, bazi. and we move now to a deadly shooting in the heart of las vegas, right in front of the belliago, caesars palace, the famous casinos.

police say early this morning, someone in a black range rover opened fire on a maserati. the gunshot sent the car careening into a taxi, which burst into flames. three people were killed and police in four states are now searching for that suv. and we are keeping track of gas prices. today marking the 35th day that gas prices have ticked up. the average price of a gallon of gas now $3.78 a gallon. a jump of nearly 50 cents and a little over a month. and one cause is tension in the middle east. experts saying the fear of unrest there accounts for 15 cents of that increase here at home. and tonight, we have proof of the volatile situation in syria. car bombs tearing through the capital damascus and abc's terry moran is there. >> reporter: black smoke rose into the clear morning sky above damascus, marking the latest atrocity in this brutal civil war.

on al thawra street, in the heart of the city, horror, carnage and chaos. rescue workers and ordinary citizens frantically tried to douse fires and aid victims. we drove to the scene from across the city, through traffic paralyzed by panic and arrived as bodies were still being pulled from the wreckage. this is a scene of shocking devastation. 11:00 this morning, in this crowded traffic intersection in the heart of downtown damascus, a giant car bomb devastates this entire area. many casualties. this is designed to terrorize the people of damascus. what made it even more heartbreaking, among the more than 50 killed, children. the whole scene stank of gasoline, charred cars and death. it could have been worse. what looked like a second car bomb that did not detonate was discovered at the scene and dismantled. syrian officials say they arrested the driver.

it was an attack that shook the city to its core, as rebels in the suburbs showed they can stagger the place that is president bashar assad's stronghold. later, we went to a hospital where more than 70 of the wounded from the car bombing had been taken. this woman was walking with her two children when the blast hit. doctors told us she will likely lose both her legs. were you walking when the bomb went off? we saw a little boy recovering from surgery after debris tore through his body. his father, who was walking with him when the bomb went off, in tears, overcome with fear for his son's life. twice in the past year, rebels have tried to take damascus by storm and failed. now, it seems they will try to take it by terror, slowly choking the life out of one of the world's great cities to try to bring down the regime. diane? >> thank you, terry moran, reporting in tonight from a turbulent damascus. and from damascus, we head now to iran. and a new, defiant challenge from that country, a country

filled with nuclear ambition. and once again, abc's david muir is reporting live from tehran tonight. david? >> reporter: diane, good evening again from iran this evening. and we begin with that new u.n. report, the inspectors who say they discovered advanced centrifuges installed at one of iran's main nuclear facilities. they say it's proof that iran can now speed up the process to a nuclear weapon. iran, of course, saying it has no such ambition, but the state department, diane, reacting quickly tonight, calling this further escalation, a provocative step, just days before the u.s. and iran are back at the negotiating table. and tonight, right here, you'll hear from the iranian people we spoke with today, many of whom say they're the ones caught in the middle. allowed rare access to the streets here, today, we went in search of one of the biggest pharmacies in central tehran, having heard life-saving medicine is now running out. >> hello. >> reporter: this doctor runs the pharmacy. >> right now, we have shortage

almost of every category of medicine. >> reporter: and he points straight to those tightening u.s. sanctions, meant to force iran's leaders to change course on their nuclear program, now affecting everyone. even patients buying medicine. all of it, he says, because money in and out of iran is nearly frozen. but because of that money flow, it has stopped some of the drugs from coming in? >> yes, because, you are a manufacturer of a drug, you want your money. when i can't pay you, how can you send the medicine to me? >> reporter: and that's all because of the sanctions? >> that's right. >> reporter: cameras are rarely allowed free rein in iran. but we ask him to allow us inside the pharmacy and he takes us. is this crowd typical, the size of this crowd? immediately, we see the lines as we snake our way behind the counter to the back. where not only are they low on many medications, they have run out of several cancer drugs. >> colon cancer -- >> reporter: that you don't have? >> we don't have. >> reporter: and what do you give instead? >> well, we don't have it. nothing. >> reporter: and by midday

alone -- how many people have been asking for it? >> 40 people. >> reporter: 40 people today have asked? for that one cancer drug alone. and on the other side of the counter, the urgency in their faces. this man shows us the prescription for a loved one with leukemia. he took a cab from two hours away. when we did the math, skyrocketing inflation here, that ride cost him more than $500. and you have gone to how many pharmacies? >> translator: over 20. >> reporter: over 20? and while we were there, he finally makes his way to the window, where he is told there is none left. to come back saturday. you will go home with no medicine? "what can i do," he asks. and as the sun set in tehran tonight, the sanctions meant to force the supreme leader, whose revered image hovers over the city, into backing down on any nuclear ambitions, are now forcing the people here to pay the price, too. we should point out that the

government did not take us to that pharmacy today, in fact, we had to push to get our cameras inside. police were waiting for us afterward, checking for our paperwork to make sure not only had we been invited into iran, but more importantly, our camera, diane. and one other thing that struck me is that many of the customers, the patients there, offcamera, when we would ask them who is to blame, often, they would say, we don't know who is to blame, but we should point out that we are the ones that feel we are trapped in the middle of this standoff, diane. >> and it is a difficult situation reporting in tehran, but thank you so much. david muir reporting in. and now back here at home, a new turn tonight in a story you'll remember. the deadly peanut butter, the salmonella outbreak of 2009? nine people died, hundreds were sickened. well, today, criminal charges were brought against four former employees of the peanut company and processing plant. the plant where the fda found mold and roaches. they are accused of covering up possible contamination over a period of six years. and we want to tell you

about an in-depth investigation by "time" magazine into hospital bills. tracking charges for pills and for tests. the "time" magazine investigation is called "bitter pill" and "time" found some of those were marked up by as much as 10,000% over cost. so, tomorrow night, we're going to show you what "time" magazine uncovered and how you can take action. be sure to watch, right here. and still ahead on "world news," so, you work hard on those machines to burn the calories and run the distance. how accurate are the numbers they give you on the machine? we'll check it out, next. [ female announcer ] today, jason is here to volunteer to help those in need. when a twinge of back pain surprises him. morning starts in high spirits, but there's a growing pain in his lower back. as lines grow longer, his pain continues to linger. but after a long day of helping others,

he gets some helpful advice. just two aleve have the strength to keep back pain away all day. today, jason chose aleve. just two pills for all day pain relief. try aleve d for strong, all day long sinus and headache relief. tell me you have good insurance. yup, i've got... [ voice of dennis ] ...allstate. really? i was afraid you'd have some cut-rate policy. nope, i've got... [ voice of dennis ] the allstate value plan. it's their most affordable car insurance -- and you still get an allstate agent. i too have... [ voice of dennis ] allstate. [ normal voice ] same agent and everything. it's like we're connected. no we're not. yeah, we are. no, we're not. ♪ ask an allstate agent about the value plan. are you in good hands? a body at rest tends to stay at rest... while a body in motion tends to stay in motion. staying active can actually ease arthritis symptoms. but if you have arthritis, staying active can be difficult.

prescription celebrex can help relieve arthritis pain so your body can stay in motion. because just one 200mg celebrex a day can provide 24 hour relief for many with arthritis pain and inflammation. plus, in clinical studies, celebrex is proven to improve daily physical function so moving is easier. celebrex can be taken with or without food. and it's not a narcotic. you and your doctor should balance the benefits with the risks. all prescription nsaids, like celebrex, ibuprofen, naproxen and meloxicam have the same cardiovascular warning. they all may increase the chance of heart attack or stroke, which can lead to death. this chance increases if you have heart disease or risk factors such as high blood pressure or when nsaids are taken for long periods. nsaids, including celebrex, increase the chance of serious skin or allergic reactions or stomach and intestine problems, such as bleeding and ulcers, which can occur without warning and may cause death. patients also taking aspirin and the elderly are at increased risk for stomach bleeding and ulcers. do not take celebrex if you've had an asthma attack, hives, or other allergies to aspirin, nsaids or sulfonamides.

get help right away if you have swelling of the face or throat, or trouble breathing. tell your doctor your medical history. and find an arthritis treatment for you. visit celebrex.com and ask your doctor about celebrex. for a body in motion. and now, we have a story for everyone who exercises or plans to exercise some day. 50 million of us belong to a gym, and others have machines in the house or basement. so, have you ever wondered just how accurate the equipment is about distance and calories? abc's linsey davis brings us real answers tonight. >> reporter: they crunch your calories, calculate your distance and tabulate your heart rate. but how accurate are these exercise machines? we headed to our neighborhood gym to find out. first up, calories. after making sure these treadmills are in tip-top shape, i ran for one mile. the machine logging 94 calories

burned. but what was my body really burning? to get that answer, we visited the hospital for special surgery in new york. feel like hannibal lecter. this sue cuba-looking gear is actually a high tech oxygen analyzer that counts calories down to the decimal point. after doing the exact same warmup, i ran another mile at the same pace. it calculated i burned 75 calories. that's 20% less than the gym treadmill. experts say that's because treadmills only take into account limited factors, like your pace, weight and age, not yourrunning form or specific body type. >> the best it can do is give you the best estimate, just based on generalities. >> reporter: next up, heart rate. i hopped on the elliptical to compare its monitor to the specialized one strapped to my chest. according to this machine, it says my heart rate is 136. on the watch, it says 135. it was pretty accurate. even when i really pushed it, testing my own limits perhaps even more than the machine.

175. 173 on the watch. and finally, distance. experts say worn out or stretched out belts can make those miles seem extra long. so, make sure your gym tunes them up. but if a mile is generally a mile, why does it feel like i'm working so much harder when i run outside? >> there are many things within that mile that might dramatically effect how hard it is to maintain a certain pace. >> reporter: look here. on the treadmill, my leg is being pulled back. but outside, i'm having to push my body weight over my foot each time, meaning more effort to cover the same distance. some might say this is sweating the small stuff, but those calories add up, meaning next time, i might just have to run a little faster. if you want your run inside to be just as challenging as your run outside, researchers suggest increasing the elevation on your treadmill to 1% or 2%. that will help recreate some of the wind resistance and those physical demands of running

outside. but all runs, not created equally. >> so, that will take away some of the shock of moving outside. >> reporter: exactly right, in the cold and all that. >> and being breathless. looking good on the treadmill there. thank you. and coming up here, startling new video of that huge meteor in russia. it's our "instant index." meteor in russia. it's our "instant index." watch next. co to the gulf.f bp made a and every day since, we've worked hard to keep it. today, the beaches and gulf are open for everyone to enjoy. we've shared what we've learned, so we can all produce energy more safely. bp's also committed to america. we support nearly two-hundred-fifty thousand jobs and invest more here than anywhere else. we're working to fuel america for generations to come. our commitment has never been stronger. [ slap! ] [ male announcer ] your favorite foods fighting you? fight back fast with tums. calcium-rich tums starts working so fast you'll forget you had heartburn.

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possible increased risk of prostate cancer, lower sperm count, swelling of ankles, feet, or body, enlarged or painful breasts, problems breathing during sleep, and blood clots in the legs. tell your doctor about your medical conditions and medications, especially insulin, corticosteroids, or medicines to decrease blood clotting. so...what do men do when a number's too low? turn it up! [ male announcer ] in a clinical study, over 80% of treated men had their t levels restored to normal. talk to your doctor about all your symptoms. get the blood tests. change your number. turn it up. androgel 1.62%. but they haven't experienced extra strength bayer advanced aspirin. in fact, in a recent survey, 95% of people who tried it agreed that it relieved their headache fast. visit fastreliefchallenge.com today for a special trial offer. and our "instant index" tonight starts with dramatic new video streaming in of that huge meteor streaking across the sky

in russia late last week. watch this. and imagine seeing a small pin prick of light and then grow and grow and then explode through your windshield, a fireball there. the stunned driver stopped to try to take it all in. and final this under getting the last word. remember when big bird was about to be fired by a presidential candidate? >> i like pbs, i love big bird. i actually like you, too, but i'm not going to keep on spending money on things to borrow money from china to pay for it. >> there was an outcry, but flash forward to the white house, where the winning team invited the big yellow guy to pop up today. >> look, mrs. obama. i'm getting moving right now by jogging! >> there's big bird helping mrs. obama promote exercise, tweeting to the first lady, "hope your husband didn't mind all the loud stomping. i'm not exactly light on my feet." and the countdown to oscar is on, and here's your number. three. that's how many days are left until the big show.

we learned today there will be something new at the very end, way past everyone's bedtime. you remember in '91, billy crystal signing off at midnight? in '99, whoop pi goi goldberg c in at 12:20 a.m. but this year, there will be one more musical number at the end of the show, host seth macfarlane and kristin chenoweth will sing us off into the night. so, stay up. and coming up here, something new and human we learned that dolphins can do. you have to hear it to believe it, next. helps provide many with day and night relief of heartburn symptoms caused by acid reflux disease. there is risk of bone fracture, and low magnesium levels. side effects may include headache, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. call your doctor right away if you have persistent diarrhea. other serious stomach conditions may exist. don't take nexium if you take clopidogrel. ask your doctor if nexium is right for you. find out how you may be able to get nexium for just $18 a month

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without raising my blood pressure. coricidin hbp. and finally tonight, a trip into a secret world, underwater, where dolphins roam. we're constantly amazed by the highly human things they can do. and just tonight, another surprise. they can call each other by name. abc's matt gutman shows us. >> oh, man, did you guys hear that? >> reporter: listen to the chatter of hundreds of dolphins, off the california coast. and watch this exclusive video we recently shot off the bahamas. a dolphin mother, caressing her calf, and these dolphins,

greeting us, heads down. you hear those clicks? dolphins can learn to read. signs like this. use tools. even communicate with humans. this one telling a diver to cut it free of fishing wire. but use names? a new study out today shows dolphin communication to be much more like ours than we ever thought. that each dolphin has its own distinct sound. essentially its own name. listen to this. one male bottlenose clicking out his signature sound, basically calling out his name. almost instantly, another dolphin responds, calling back to him by his name. >> these whistles that they produce are actually used as names. they use them to keep in contact when they're swimming through very murky waters, so they can keep their social groups integrated and operating as a unit. >> reporter: the dolphins that most commonly communicate like

this? mothers to calves. you said that from a very young age, almost from birth, they start to have their signature sounds? >> absolutely. from minutes of being born, you'll see the calf vocalize. and the mother will almost mimic that. >> reporter: makes you wonder what else they're saying. matt gutman, abc news, miami. >> funny. doesn't look like a ralph. anyway. thank you for watching. we're always working for you at abcnews.com. we thank matt gutman. and "nightline" will be along at its new time, 12:35 a.m. eastern. i'll see you tomorrow.

aw before. c 7 news can confirm one victim of a high speed car to car shooting was a bay area man. good evening. >> that breaking news the connection to a bizarre shooting on the las vegas strip where three people were killed. a 27-year-old, shot dead in vegas. vic lee is live with the latest on this. >> we've been digging into his

background and have learned he was an aspiring rapper from oakland. >> the 27-year-old known as kenny clutch. this is you tube video of him shot sometime back. he appears to be in the same maz ratty he was driving this morning when killed. he died in a car to car shooting police say it began at the valet stand at the aria hot yechl he got into an altercation with someone in a range rover. he took off, then, one and possible several people in the range rover began shooting at the car. the maz ratty crashed into several cars including a taxi cab when burst into flames,

killing two people inside. police are still searching for the occupants of a black range rover that left the scene. one man says he's kenny clutch's father telling us that the family is in mourning over the shocking loss. >> vic, thank you. turning now to first significant construction accident at new bay bridge. sky 7 set the scene, it happened under there. a witness tells abc 7 news it sounded likeçó a plane crash when a construction crane crashed down. we're live with details for us. heather? >> a key factor, a key player in this accident is the scaffolding or false work. the temporary support structure holding up the new bridge until that summer when the weight was transfered to the cable what. we don't know